Food waste disposer



0. R. CLARK FOOD WASTE DISPOSER Dec. 29, 1964 Filed May 31, 1963 FIG.

INVENTOR. OLIVER R. CLARK H \5 ATT RNEY United States Patent 3,163,376 F091 WASTE DISPOSER Oliver R. Clark, Louisville, Ky., msignor to General Electric Company, a corporation oi New York Filed May 31, 1963, Ser. No. 284,681 5 Claims. (Cl. 24186) This invention relates to a food waste disposer and, more particularly, to an improved strainer for a food waste disposer.

Commercially acceptable food waste disposers generally comprise a hopper into which food waste is introduced. The food waste is usually comrmnuted within the hopper by means of moving impellers cooperating with stationary grinding pads. As the food waste achieves a substantially finely-divided consistency, it is discharged from the hopper into a normal sewer system. A straining means is usually provided at the hopper outlet to retain the food waste within the hopper until it is comminuted to an extent that it will be easily accommodated by the sewer system. In theory the size of the food waste particles leaving the hopper is governed by the size of the openings in the strainer. That is, if the strainer has openings one-quarter inch in diameter, any particle leaving the hopper must be a maximum of one-quarter inch in its smallest dimension. However, it is found in actual practice that a substantial percentage of the food waste leaving the hopper is in fact not in particle form. This is especially true when fibrous materials such as corn husks, cabbage, carrot tops and the like are being comminuted. Such fibrous materials tend to pass partially through the strainer openings whereupon they become trapped and then partially clog the hopper outlet.

Outlet means for the hopper of a food waste disposer may be generally classified into one of three categories: axial discharge, radial discharge or a combination of both axial and radial. The present invention is primarily concerned with a disposer having an axial discharge hopper. The problem of strainer clogging is generally greater vtu'th an axial discharge mechanism than with a radial discharge mechanism. This is apparently attributable in part to the required spacing between the disposer impellers and the strainer which preventsthe impellers from shredding the fibrous material collecting in the strainer openings. Axial discharge disposers have cost reduction advantages over radial discharge disposers so that it would be desirable to minimize clogging, due to fibrous materials, and thereby make axial discharge arrangements even more advantageous. It would be possible to overrome strainer clogging by the incorporation of additional cutters to cooperate with the strainer to chop up-the trapped fibrous material. This, however, would result in additional expense which might well overcome the original cost advantage of the axial discharge construction.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved strainer for a vertical discharge food waste disposer.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved strainer for a vertical discharge food waste disposer which minimizes strainer clogging without the necessity of additional cutters.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided in a food waste disposer a rotatable flywheel and a stationary straining means disposed about the flywheel. The straining means lies in a plane substantially parallel to the flywheel and is provided with a plurality of slots opening toward the flywheel. At least one serration is provided in the peripheral surface of the flywheel. With this arrangement, the high rotary speed of the flywheel and its serration creates a turbulence which draws trapped fibrous material from the slots into the path of the rotating flywheel. Interaction between the serration and the open ends of the slots chop up the fibrous material to an extent that it will pass through the strainer.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational View, partially cut away to show details, of a food waste disposer employing the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown a food waste disposer 10 in which the present invention may be used. The disposer 10 includes a generally cylindrical hopper 11 having a comminuting chamber 11:: therein and secured at its lower end to ahousing 12. The upper end of the hopper 11is designed to be suspended from the drain opening or sink flange 13 of a typical kitchen sink 14. Any suitable suspension means may be employed for this purpose and such means is disclosed and claimed by Johnny W. Yartz and Francis J. Clements in US. Patent 3,108,755, which issued on October 29, 1963, and is assigned to the General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention. Since this particular suspension means does not form a material part of the present invention it is not discussed in detail herein. A simple stopperlS is positioned within the sink flange 13 to serve as a stopper or plug for the sink 14 when it is desired to fill the sink with water. The stopper 15 is easily removable for the loading of food waste into the hopper 11 and for passage of water into the hopper 11 continuously during the comminuting operation.

An electric motor 16 is supported within housing 12 and is provided with an upwardly extending shaft 17 which is supported by bearing 18. Shaft 17 is connected to a comminuting assembly shown generally at 19. The comminuting assembly 19 includes a flywheel 20 having a plurality of openings 21 therethrough as best seen in FIGURE 2. The flywheel 20 also has secured thereto a bracket 22 by tabs which extend through slots 23 and are bent over to retain the bracket 22 rigid with respect to flywheel 20. Bracket 22 and flywheel 20 cooperate to retain a pair'of pins 24 which in turn each pivotally secure an-impeller 25 to the flywheel 20. Cooperating with the impellers 25 to provide a comminuting action are a pair ot-grindings pads 26, secured to the inner wall of hopper 11 in substantially diametrically opposed positions.

The construction thus far described does not form a material part of the present invention and, as will ber come more evident as the description proceeds, many of the aforementioned elements may be materially modified from the specific illustration shown in the drawing.

The operation of the device as thus far described, is as follows. Stopper 15 is removed and food waste is inserted into hopper 11 by the operator. As is customary 3, 1 63,370 5 6 of said slots to draw trapped material from said slots References Cited by the Applicant into cutting engagement With said serration. UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,760,730 8/56 Jordan.

2,940,677 6/60 Jordan. 3,005,596 10/61 Jenkins.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,912,176 11/59 Jordan 241194 3,076,611 2/63 Jordan 24146 J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A FOOD WASTE DISPOSER THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: (A) A ROTATABLE FLYWHEEL, (B) MEANS TO ROTATE SAID FLYWHEEL AT A NORMAL OPERATING SPEED OF AT LEAST 6,000 R.P.M., (C) A STATIONARY STRAINING MEANS DISPOSED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID FLYWHEEL AND LYING IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FLYWHEEL, (D) SAID STRAINING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS OPENING TOWARD SAID FLYWHEEL, AND (E) AT LEAST ONE SERRATION IN THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID FLYWHEEL TO CREATE A TURBULENCE AT THE OPEN ENDS OF SAID SLOTS TO DRAW TRAPPED MATERIAL FROM SAID SLOTS INTO CUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SERRATION. 